Here are a few geocentric passages in scripture, King James version. The first two, from Ecclesiastes and Joshua, were definitely used in Galileo's heresy trial. (Source: The Galileo Affair, by Maurice A. Finocchiaro, University of California Press, 1989.) I'm not certain of the other verses, but they speak for themselves:
Ecclesiastes:
1:5 The sun also ariseth, and the sun goeth down, and hasteth to his place where he arose. [Clear, unambiguous description of the sun's orbit around the earth.]Joshua:
10:12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
10:14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.1st Chronicles:
16:30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.Psalms:
93:1 The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
96:10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
104:5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be re-moved for ever.
Clear to WHOM??
OK, so when I hear the weather report on my local news describing “sunrise” and “sunset”, I should hear that as a statement of geocentric astrophysics?
Context is also important here. “The Preacher” or as some assert, Salomon, is opening his teaching by pointing out how things were going on long before the reader or student showed up and would continue long after they were gone. Even the listener of that day knew from looking that the sun did not rise at the same place (from their perspective) in the east or set in the same place in the west every day, but changed "entry" and "exit" points.
Joshua:
10:12 Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon.
10:13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.
10:14 And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel.
Leaving aside the miracle described in this passage, the perspective of the sun and moon “standing still” and “staying” would be the same if:
(a)earth’s rotation stopped, or
(b) (postulating a geo centric reality) if the orbits of the sun and moon were stopped. Either way, the objects will “look” as if they are standing still.
Much in the same way that I am sitting on my butt in front of a computer, so that subjectively, I am sitting still; however, to an objective observer (from a proper vantage point), the combination of the earth’s rotation, the earth’s orbit, the solar system’s orbit around galactic center, and galactic movement puts me in motion to the tune of thousands of mph.
The question is - 'Is the description that of the EVENT or the PERCEPTION of the event?' I understand this being an account of what some one SAW. Their veracity is a whole 'nother discussion.
1st Chronicles:
16:30 Fear before him, all the earth: the world also shall be stable, that it be not moved.
This is a nice piece of poetry, if you look a few verses down, David also refers to the “fields being jubilant” and “the trees of the forest singing”. You would be hard pressed to find even the most die hard literalist taking that at full face value. Does make a nice piece of ecstatic worship in praising the majesty of our almighty Gor, though.
Psalms:
93:1 The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself: the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved.
96:10 Say among the heathen that the LORD reigneth: the world also shall be established that it shall not be moved: he shall judge the people righteously.
104:5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be re-moved for ever.
Again, poetry. Much in the same way that “The Preacher” in Ecclesiastes was making a point about a person’s place in the universe, so was David in the Psalms and that passage from I Chronicles.
I’m not wholly convinced that the old testament prophets were making statements in favor of Aristotolean or Copernican cosmolgy in these citations. I have read each of these passages several times, and never formed that impression.
As for the Catholic Church using the passages from Ecclesiastes and Joshua at Gallileo’s “trial” – well let’s just say that that is’nt the only thing they’ve gotten wrong over the years. One of the reasons why I am not one… The King James version is also a little interesting in a few areas. I used to really like it until I found more literal translations such as Young's or the NRSV. I am still working on Hebrew and Septuagent Greek.
Thank you for a reasoned, well researched and obviously well thought out reply, though.